Tips for Shrimp and Sausage

How to Store Shrimp

How to Freeze Shrimp

How to Thaw Shrimp

How to Store Fresh Sausage

How to Freeze Fresh Sausage

How to Cook Fresh Sausage

Tip

How to Store Shrimp

Shrimp like to breathe, otherwise they start to get smelly. To avoid foul seafood, you’ll first want to store your shrimp in the coldest part of your fridge. If the shrimp was purchased in a bag, open the bag and place a paper towel over the top. Proceed to transfer the bag to a bowl of ice. The shrimp should be okay to use for up to two days.

Tip

How to Freeze Shrimp

For maximum shelf life, freeze raw shrimp with their heads removed, but shells still intact. Package the shrimp in freezer bags leaving about a quarter of an inch of space at the top. Frozen shrimp can last from three to six months before needing to be discarded.

Tip

How to Thaw Shrimp

Like fish, frozen shrimp should either be left in the refrigerator overnight or thawed in a bowl of cold water. Never re-freeze shrimp. Most seafood is usually frozen prior to arriving at the grocery store and you don’t want to freeze it for a second time.

Tip

How to Store Fresh Sausage

Fresh sausage must be consumed or frozen within one to two days of purchase. They can be stored in their original packaging, but refrain from opening the package until you’re ready to cook. The easiest way to tell if a sausage has gone bad is its smell. Discard of anything that smells foul.

Tip

How to Freeze Fresh Sausage

Sausage can be kept in its original packaging, but re-wrapped in aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper to prevent freezer burn. A frozen fresh sausage’s optimal flavor will last one to two months beyond its initial freeze date, though properly packaged sausage can last significantly longer.

Tip

How to Cook Fresh Sausage

To cook sausage in its traditional form (whole and with casing), spray a skillet with cooking spray and set the heat to medium-high. Add the sausages and allow their sides to brown. Continuously flip the sausages with tongs until they are browned evenly. Lower heat to medium-low and carefully had half a cup of water to the skillet. Cover the sausages and allow to simmer in the water for 12 minutes or until the they are cooked through.

9 golf-ball-size new potatoes, cooked in salted water until just tender, then drained

3 ears corn, shucked and cut crosswise into 4 pieces

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

4 lemon rounds, sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 1/2 pounds fresh large shrimp, heads off, peeled but with the very end of the tail shell intact

1 cup arugula, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)

6 slices grilled or pan-fried country bread rubbed with garlic, for serving

Tip

How to Store Shrimp

Shrimp like to breathe, otherwise they start to get smelly. To avoid foul seafood, you’ll first want to store your shrimp in the coldest part of your fridge. If the shrimp was purchased in a bag, open the bag and place a paper towel over the top. Proceed to transfer the bag to a bowl of ice. The shrimp should be okay to use for up to two days.

Read More

1 of 6

Next: How to Freeze Shrimp

Tip

How to Freeze Shrimp

For maximum shelf life, freeze raw shrimp with their heads removed, but shells still intact. Package the shrimp in freezer bags leaving about a quarter of an inch of space at the top. Frozen shrimp can last from three to six months before needing to be discarded.

Read More

2 of 6

Next: How to Thaw Shrimp

Tip

How to Thaw Shrimp

Like fish, frozen shrimp should either be left in the refrigerator overnight or thawed in a bowl of cold water. Never re-freeze shrimp. Most seafood is usually frozen prior to arriving at the grocery store and you don’t want to freeze it for a second time.

Read More

3 of 6

Next: How to Store Fresh Sausage

Tip

How to Store Fresh Sausage

Fresh sausage must be consumed or frozen within one to two days of purchase. They can be stored in their original packaging, but refrain from opening the package until you’re ready to cook. The easiest way to tell if a sausage has gone bad is its smell. Discard of anything that smells foul.

Read More

4 of 6

Next: How to Freeze Fresh Sausage

Tip

How to Freeze Fresh Sausage

Sausage can be kept in its original packaging, but re-wrapped in aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper to prevent freezer burn. A frozen fresh sausage’s optimal flavor will last one to two months beyond its initial freeze date, though properly packaged sausage can last significantly longer.

Read More

5 of 6

Next: How to Cook Fresh Sausage

Tip

How to Cook Fresh Sausage

To cook sausage in its traditional form (whole and with casing), spray a skillet with cooking spray and set the heat to medium-high. Add the sausages and allow their sides to brown. Continuously flip the sausages with tongs until they are browned evenly. Lower heat to medium-low and carefully had half a cup of water to the skillet. Cover the sausages and allow to simmer in the water for 12 minutes or until the they are cooked through.

Read More

6 of 6

Next: How to Store Shrimp

Hugh Acheson, chef of The National and Five & Ten in Athens, Georgia, and Empire State South in Atlanta, describes this dish as an upscale version of Frogmore stew. This hearty soup is a more refined version of the traditional Low Country boil, a mix of shrimp, crab or crawfish, corn on the cob, sausage, and potatoes, simmered in a mildly flavored broth. Still, it’s simple enough to serve at a tailgating lunch or casual dinner party. Feel free to swap out the shrimp with fresh crab. And if you happen to have any shrimp or lobster stock, they make a great substitute for fish stock.

Adapted from "A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen" by Hugh Acheson

Instructions

1Place a large pot over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, leeks, and celery and cook until just translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and let it reduce by about half.

2Add the Old Bay, tomato juice, fish stock, potatoes, corn, sausage, lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with a 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and set the shrimp aside.

3Reduce the heat to medium low, add the shrimp, and cover with a tightfitting lid. Cook until the shrimp are cooked through and no longer translucent, about 5 minutes.

4Add the arugula, parsley, butter, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir to combine. Cook until the butter is melted and the arugula is just wilted, about 1 minute more. Taste and season with additional salt as desired. Ladle the stew into 6 bowls and serve with a slice of grilled bread.

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